End of Year Newsletter
✨ CherishedLA | 2025 End-of-Year Newsletter ✨
From the Desk of Founder & Executive Director, Kate Wedell
Dear Cherished Family,
As we come to the end of another year, I find myself looking back with a deep sense of gratitude, strength, and awe. This season always invites reflection — and for me, that reflection stretches across 31 years in this movement.
Yes… thirty-one years of advocating, serving, surviving, healing, and lifting up other women. I guess that makes me one of the “OGs” in this work — and I say that with pride, humility, and a whole lot of lived experience behind it.
For decades, many of us fought to have our voices heard. We spoke into systems that were not built for us and often not interested in listening. But today — finally — I see survivor voices shaping policy, guiding research, influencing national conversations, and holding power where it belongs.
This year, I was reminded of this during a meeting with several of the Epstein survivors and World Without Exploitation. Hearing them speak about the realities we’ve been naming for years — how trauma impacts development, how “choice” is misused to dismiss our histories, how Complex PTSD must be treated as an injury — was powerful.
Even more powerful was the solidarity and support among all survivors.
They said something that struck me deeply:
“Alone we are silenced, but together we are feared.”
Their determination to continue fighting, to ensure accountability, to protect the next generation — it reminded me why this work still matters as much as it did when I began 31 years ago. The long road behind me feels worth it when I see the hope rising ahead.
💜 What You May Not See — But Can Always Trust
I know you don’t hear from me often. I’m not a big spotlight person; I’m a trenches person.
And I want you to know — you can rest assured that I am:
using my voice wherever it matters most,
leading women toward a healed future,
writing curriculum for support groups,
training organizations in trauma-informed care,
fighting for accurate survivor-centered data, and
standing with women in their hardest moments.
This remains my passion… my calling… and my promise.
Thanks to generous donors, thousands of copies of my book EXPOSED were placed directly into the hands of survivors — women in jails, programs, drop-in centers, shelters, hospitals, and safe homes. Your generosity put truth and hope where it was desperately needed.
🌿 CherishedLA: A Year of Impact
This year Cherished continued its quiet but powerful work — walking with women through the hardest transitions of their lives. We don’t do quick fixes. We do real relationship. Real healing. Real journey.
It is with deep gratitude that I think of each of you who, through your generosity and belief in our mission, have walked beside me and have kept our doors open all these years. Because you cared, countless lives—and even future generations—have been impacted.
And every woman who comes to Cherished receives not only support and mentorship, but also practical stability. Most survivors arrive in crisis — waiting for CalAIM or insurance to activate, trying to find work, and rebuilding from scratch.
This means that for the first few months, we commit to meeting their basic needs until they can regain their footing.
Food. Clothing. Hygiene. Transportation. Emotional support.
Real things that matter.
We don’t do this halfway — we do this wholeheartedly.
🎄 The Holidays Are Hard — Here’s How You Can Help
For many survivors, the holidays are not joyful.
They're reminders of:
families who were unsafe,
childhoods interrupted,
relationships broken by exploitation, and
the loneliness that trauma leaves behind.
A small act of kindness can make an entire season feel different.
This year, we are putting together Christmas Gifts for the women in our care to help make their holiday a little brighter — a little softer — a little more hopeful.
If you would like to help, here are two ways:
🎁 1. Donate a Christmas Gift (Amazon Wish List)
💜 2. Give Toward Survivors’ Basic Needs
Your end-of-year donation directly supports:
groceries,
transportation,
emergency needs,
clothing,
therapy support,
and transitional stability during those first critical months.
Your generosity helps us say “yes” when a woman reaches out in bravery.
Traditional Scents (Creme Brulé, Sweet Pea, & Full Moon) also available!
New, Seasonal Candles
Support our social enterprise while also tackling your Christmas gift list!
This year our survivor-made, soy wax candles feature:
Fa-La-La
Pine
Gingerbread
Our soy wax candles are meticulously hand-poured by skilled artisans, infusing them with a captivating blend of high-grade essential oils sourced from the finest botanicals, ensuring a truly enchanting aromatic experience that uplifts your space and enhances your well-being. Each candle is crafted with precision and care, making it a perfect addition to your home decor or a thoughtful gift for someone special.
Every survivor is someone's daughter. We need you. Help us support her in 2026!
🌟 Looking Forward
I feel hope rising — in policy, in survivor leadership, in community understanding, in our local partnerships, and in the hearts of women stepping into healing.
It has been a long road behind me.
But the hope ahead is worth every mile.
Thank you for standing with me, with Cherished, and with every survivor whose story is still unfolding.
With gratitude and strength,
Kate Ouimette-Wedell
Founder & Executive Director, CherishedLA
Human Trafficking Subject Matter Expert